Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2) in Sophomore Reading Challenge

Jan 07, 2013 Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday) added it

Shelves: atw-tour

This series is a must-read. I'm telling you this now so that if you haven't read Shadow and Bone, you can do that before Siege and Storm comes out in June. Seriously, these books will appeal to readers who like fantasy, fairy tales, suspense, folklore, romance, action -- it's all in here.

Alina has changed a lot as Siege and Storm begins. She's wracked with guilt as she remembers the part she played in the Darkling's plan. Mal's perfectly happy in their "normal" life, but not using her power make This series is a must-read. I'm telling you this now so that if you haven't read Shadow and Bone, you can do that before Siege and Storm comes out in June. Seriously, these books will appeal to readers who like fantasy, fairy tales, suspense, folklore, romance, action -- it's all in here.

Alina has changed a lot as Siege and Storm begins. She's wracked with guilt as she remembers the part she played in the Darkling's plan. Mal's perfectly happy in their "normal" life, but not using her power makes Alina feel weak and diminished. But as Alina and Mal try to lie low, disaster strikes and they find themselves prisoners on the ship of a privateer, a guy named Sturmhond. I think new books in a series should always introduce new characters, and Sturmhond is a fantastic one. He's gruff and mercenary, willing to sell his soul to the highest bidder. Love, love, love him. We also meet the dynamic duo of Tolya and Tamar, a tough-as-nails pair of fraternal twins.

Alina learns that she can use more than one amplifier, news that come with another encounter with our favorite hot Bad Boy .... the Darkling. He's such a fantastic character, sinister and yet so compelling. Alina doesn't really feel that she can trust him, and yet he's the only person who really understands the nature of her power. After their encounter, she begins to think she sees him everywhere, something she hides from Mal.

In another interesting twist, Alina has become famous after the events in Shadow and Bone and has to learn to deal with other people's ideas about her, ideas that will confuse her, pressure her, and confound her. As others begin to look to her for leadership, she'll have to overcome both her lack of self-confidence and her guilt. She'll have to learn to trust those who betrayed her -- and get others to trust her.

When Alina finds her copy of Lives of the Saints, she also discover a clue that will lead her on a new quest, a way to possibly increase her power. To my complete delight, this also incorporates a well-known Slavic folk tale. Plus, there are some hints that we'll learn more about Alina's parentage. I'm so excited to see how this pans out. I can't wait for the third book! ...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Debbie rated it really liked it

Shelves: adventure, covers-i-love, reviewed, good, series-to-finish, i-saw-that-coming, love-triangle, female-pov, amazing-series, fantasy

3.5 Stars
Oh, man, this novel has done a number on my heart. Although this sequel is by no means better than the original, it has both impressed and disappointed me but I still liked it a lot. The new characters are undeniably loveable and certain situations are more intense than ever.

For some reason, in Shadow and Bone, I never realized just how childish Alina is, instead of growing up and learning from her mistakes and the mistakes of others she just acts even more greedy and self-centred. ...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Princess Bookie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read2013

My Thoughts: I finished Shadow and Bone a few days ago and dived right into this one! It was just as amazing! Man, I love these books.

We are right back with Mal and Alina on the run! On the run from the Darkling and trying to hide as good as possible. But that doesn’t last very long. He finds them and once again they are taken prisoner.

On a boat. Yep, so not really anywhere to escape too unless they want to swim! Alina feels so helpless.

We are also introduced to a few new characters. Sturmhond ...more

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Jul 09, 2013 Sasha rated it really liked it

Shelves: macmillan, audiobook, fantasy, young-adult, read-in-2013, read-in-2013-favorites, 2013-publication, just-as-good-as-the-first, lived-up-to-the-hype, adapted-into-a-movie-or-tv-show

Middle Book Syndrome? You know – the lull in between the first and third book of a trilogy – yeah, Siege and Storm is the anti-thesis of Middle Book Syndrome. The Darkling is as creepy as ever (and I kind of loved it), Mal is soo annoying (seriously – GROW UP), and OOOH – could there be a THIRD love interest? Alina, girl, get your hormones under control. Of course, there *is* always polygamy. Have them all!

In my review of the first book, I talked about how I was pulled in by the Darkling and I f ...more

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Dec 12, 2018 Andi (Andi's ABCs) rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, series, kindle-archive

Truth...this was almost 3 stars. I thought a lot of the story dragged and was filler. The last few chapters though upped it and it is a solid 4 star read. And I have an idea where some of this is going and I can't wait to find out if I'm right. Oh so many thoughts. Review to come...maybe. ...more

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